My, but the years have flown by. When I was getting heavily
into folk music – say 45 or so years ago – Tom Rush’s early Prestige and
Elektra recordings were among the first LPs I bought. And I kept on collecting
Tom’s Columbia albums into the ‘70s – as well as most of the later CDs he’s
released independently. So his music has been part of my life for almost all of
the years that Tom and a bunch of his musical friends celebrated with a concert
on December 28, 2012 at Symphony Hall in Boston – just across the Charles River
from where his career took off at Club 47 in Cambridge.
Playing with Tom that night were some of the same back-up
musicians who’ve worked with him over many years – Trevor Veitch, Eric
Lilljequist, Dean Adrien, Joe Mennonna, Marshal Rosenberg, Paul Guzzone – as well
as special guests Buskin & Batteau (I remember David Buskin, Robin Batteau and
Marshal Rosenberg being in Tom’s band at the Bottom Line in New York, circa
1978, when Priscilla Herdman, who I was working with at the time, opened four
shows for Tom), Dom Flemons (of the Carolina Chocolate Drops), Jonathan
Edwards, and David Bromberg. The guests each performed their own songs and sat
in as part of the band for the night.
Tom turns in stellar performances of songs from throughout
his career highlighted by such numbers as his own song, “No Regrets,” done in a
medley with the guitar instrumental “Rockport Sunday,” Joni Mitchell’s always
stunning autumn classic, “Urge for Going,” Murray McLauchlan’s poignant “Child’s
Song,” which Tom still sings credibly despite the fact that the song is from
the perspective of a 20-or-so-year-old and he’s past 70, David Wiffen’s bluesy “Drivin’
Wheel,” and, of course, “Wasn’t That a Mighty Storm.”
The guests’ performances include David Bromberg’s version of
Blind Willie McTell’s “Statesboro Blues,” Buskin & Batteau’s “Lancelot’s
Tune (Guinenere),” Dom Flemons’ romp through “Your Baby Ain’t Sweet Like Mine,”
and Jonathan Edwards’ nostalgic take on the 1960s anthem “Get Together.” Each
of the guests is featured on one track on the CD and gets a second song on the
DVD version (although, for some reason, David Bromberg’s second song is
relegated to the DVD bonus features).
The DVD version also has a different running order – which, I believe, is more reflective of
the actual concert – and expanded intros and
comments from the artists, and bonus features built around an interview with
Tom about some of his career highlights.
--Mike Regenstreif
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